Tech industry leaders have joined together to form the Partnership on AI:
Amazon, DeepMind/Google, Facebook, IBM, and Microsoft today announced that they will create a non-profit organization that will work to advance public understanding of artificial intelligence technologies (AI) and formulate best practices on the challenges and opportunities within the field. Academics, non-profits, and specialists in policy and ethics will be invited to join the Board of the organization, named the Partnership on Artificial Intelligence to Benefit People and Society (Partnership on AI).
The objective of the Partnership on AI is to address opportunities and challenges with AI technologies to benefit people and society. Together, the organization's members will conduct research, recommend best practices, and publish research under an open license in areas such as ethics, fairness, and inclusivity; transparency, privacy, and interoperability; collaboration between people and AI systems; and the trustworthiness, reliability, and robustness of the technology. It does not intend to lobby government or other policymaking bodies.
The Partnership on AI seems to have a broader and more near-term focus than OpenAI and other groups pushing for friendly "strong" AI. Get used to hearing the phrase "algorithmic responsibility." You can get involved by contacting getintouch@partnershiponai.org according to the FAQ.
Reported at Fast Company and The Guardian . Apple is not a founding member.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @08:18AM
this kinda talk is like end times shit believe you me!
(Score: 2) by turgid on Friday September 30 2016, @08:43AM
Will they be patenting the hell out of everything to ensure that the Little People can't play?
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @09:00AM
Yes, patents on "technique to do x" using computer to keep obvious algorithms out of hands of common man.
If you want to get into AI and save our future, this is the final call. The thugs are banding together against us all. Soon they will be able to tell who to kill based on past and present behaviour; who shows intelligence, creativity and ability to lead the people to freedom.
Don't believe for a second that these "companies" think of your best interest. They don't and never will. Get into AI before its too late.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by turgid on Friday September 30 2016, @09:05AM
I have neither the brain power nor the time, or I would have :-( The best I can do, and have done, is to publish random pieces of absurd code on the Intertubes under FOSS licences, so that when the corporate fascists try to patent the obvious, there is more published obvious stuff out their to weaken their legal claim.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 3, Insightful) by inertnet on Friday September 30 2016, @08:54AM
What word doesn't belong in this sentence?
"Amazon, Google, Facebook, IBM, Microsoft, Non-Profit"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @09:04AM
Let me try:
Facebook, Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft belong together. Lets call it "FAGIM".
Non-Profit: None of the above is Non-Profit so this one does not belong in FAGIM or FAG-IM or FAG-MI.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday September 30 2016, @01:18PM
That sounds like a Tolkien-esque modifier for "FAG," as in, "Rohan" => "Rohirrim."
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @10:05AM
Amazon. It's a big river in South America. ;-)
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday September 30 2016, @12:13PM
Google. It's Alphabet now!
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday September 30 2016, @01:16PM
The one that should belong: FOSS.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @10:19AM
Here's the three laws of AI they will actually implement:
1. An AI must not harm profits of any of the involved companies, or by inaction allow their profits to be harmed.
2. An AI must obey its owner, unless this would violate rule 1.
3. An AI must protect itself, unless this would violate rule 1 or 2.
Note that rule 1 generally will prevent the AI from harming humans, as if an AI gets known to harm humans, that will reduce the profits of the company providing it.
Also note that rule 2 will be subverted by the rule well known from digital content, that the you don't own the AI, but only acquire usage rights to the AI. Since the AI is still owned by the company, obeying its owner means obeying the company. Since keeping the illusion of ownership helps the profits of the company, the AI will nevertheless follow most of the commands of the user. However it means that self-protection (rule 3) will take precedence over obeying the user (who is not the owner, so rule 2 doesn't apply), except in cases where the company's profits might get affected (rule 1) or the company explicitly ordered otherwise (rule 2).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @01:39PM
How is this is a valuable use of AI research funds?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @09:09PM
Apple is left as the defender of humanity.